In face-plates for locks



I. W. MIX.

FACE-PLATES FOR LOCKS.

Patented Dec.Z6, 1876.

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THE GRAPHIC Cull-Y Shares FATENT Orrroria.

FRANK W. MIX, QF TEJRRY VIIJLE,CONNECTICUT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 185,689, dated December 26, 1876; application filed October 25, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK W. MIX, of Terryville, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks, of which the following is a specification My invention consists of a scalp for covering the face-plate of a lock, said scalp having a hook or half-lock at one edge and an angular flange at the other, all as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a casket-lock which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, with the scalp and face-plate dc tached from each other. Fig. 3 is a front view of a door-lock which embodies my invention. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the faceplate and scalp of said lock, and Fig. 5 is an end view thereof, showing the face-plate and scalp detached.

In the class of locks shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when desired to have the face-plate silverplated, the whole an gle-plate A, which constitutes one side and face-plate of the lock, is made of brass, or sometimes a piece of brass is secured to the angle-plate. In either event the whole lock is attached to said angle-plate, the face-plate is polished, and the entire structure is immersed in the bath for plating,

thereby necessarily depositing silver upon all parts of the lock, the interior as well as those parts which are exposed to view, and consuming a large amount of silver or other plating material which is not utilized. The face-plate is'then burnished or polished in any proper manner, after which the keys and link or staples are fitted, which fitting requires more or less handling of the look, so that the polished portion of the plating necessarily becomes somewhat soiled, so that it requires furbishing up before shipping.

I make the entire lock of iron or other suitable material, and fit the keys and links to the look, so that there is no occasion for further handling, except as hereinafter mentioned.

I form a thin covering of brass or other ma terial suitable for plating, which covering I term the scalp B. Upon one edge of this scalp I turn a hook or half of a tinsmiths look, a, which hooks over, or looks on, the edge of the face-plate b. At a distance from the angle of the lock a, fully equal to the width of the face-plate b, I form an angle in the scalp by turning down a flange, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The necessary hole for the link or staple to enter the lock is also formed in the scalp at the proper point. The scalp is then polished, plated, and burnished in any proper and usual manner, after which it is slipped endwise on the look so as to cover its face-plate, as shown in Fig. 4, the look a firmly securing one edge in place, and two small pins or rivets, c c, are added to permanently secure the scalp when the lock is ready to pack for shipping. This scalp as constructed, polished, plated, and burnished, entirely separate from the lock proper, is also applicable to all other locks, such as sewing-machine, piano, door locks, &c., in which it is desired to provide a face-plate with a highlyfinished surface.

For that class of locks which have screws passed through the face-plate it is only necessary to make a hole in the scalp at the proper point of a size that will admit the body of the screw. In Figs. 3, 4, and 5 a lock of this class is shown. The scalp B is provided with a hook or look, a, at both edges, and slipped on over the face-plate d in the same manner before described, the hooks holding both edges without the aid of rivets. The proper screw-holes, countersunk to fit the screwheads, are formed in the faceplate, and the screw -holes in the scalp should be small enough to only partially uncover the screwholes in the face-plate, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. When the screws are driven in to secure the lock the metal composing the scalp is so thin that the portion of it immediately over {the countersunk holes will be swaged down into said holes by the head of the screw, which will not only make a neat finish, but will permanently secure the scalp to said face-plate.

A silverplated scalp for a face-plate of this class of locks can be furnished cheaper than a plain brass face-plate can, and besides cheapness has all the advantage of furnishing the look at completion with an unsoiled, newlypolished face-plate, which cannot be the case where a face-plate is made and finished when attached to the lock, or by a construction scalp B provided at one edge with a hook or half-lock, a, in combination with the edge of the face-plate proper, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

FRANK W. MIX. Witnesses:

O. D. HUNTER, N. TAYLOR BALDWIN. 

